North America Distribution

Facts About

Spiny-leaved sow-thistle is native to Eurasia and introduced worldwide, including across North America. It prefers highly disturbed areas, and is a weed of many crops. It does not invade pastures because it is eaten by livestock. Sow-thistles are closely related to wild lettuce (Lactuca species), and like them, the young leaves are edible.

Habitat

Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields

Characteristics

Habitat

terrestrial

New England state

Connecticut

Maine

Massachusetts

New Hampshire

Rhode Island

Vermont

Leaf type

leaves are simple (lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)

Leaf arrangement

alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem

Leaf blade edges

the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes

the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes

the edge of the leaf blade has teeth

Flower type in flower heads

the flower head has ray flowers only, meaning all of the individual flowers of the flower head have a strap-shaped ray, which may or may not have teeth at the very tip of the ray